How to free yourself from the grip of notifications and big data

I’ve been liberated, and I hope that I can liberate you too! Data is the new oil, and companies want your data for all sorts of reasons. Like many, it became the norm for me to check my device(s) for notifications regularly, often subconsciously.

I know you’re the same—whether it’s Amazon, eBay, SMS, WhatsApp, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc., the list goes on. We’re constantly bombarded with notifications.

Block the pointless notifications, update your marketing preferences, and retrain your brain not to seek dopamine hits from your device(s)!

Watch the film

After watching a film on Netflix called The Social Dilemma, I realized that I had become a victim (just like you) to big brands and their notifications. I used to get them all day, every day, even stopping conversations with my kids to read them!

Even though I’m an IT expert and fully understand how companies record and save our data, I still fell victim to it. Here’s what I took away from the film:

• I’ve been groomed to check my phone for notifications.
• I’ve been programmed to scroll like a zombie, regardless of the source.
• The research I was doing was being fueled by biased sources. The more I searched a topic, the more AI algorithms would push similar content at me. Don’t believe me? Search for a topic on YouTube and see how it skews your results.
• Brands are taking our data, storing it, mining it, using it, and making money from it—all while manipulating us to give them even more.

How can you become liberated from the planet-sized snowball that is big data?

Become liberated by taking these three steps:

1. Update your device(s) notification settings: Switch off everything unless it’s really important, like a text message. This will stop your phone from notifying you when an email lands (you check them anyway, right?) or when a new product comes out that you might be interested in. This will massively reduce the time you spend dismissing useless notifications and help reprogram your mind not to seek dopamine hits from them.

2. Log in to all your accounts and turn off notifications: Do you really want to be notified when a price changes on eBay? This alone will save you tons of time sifting through unwanted emails. Don’t get fooled into thinking you need to know when the next must-have product hits the shelves or when someone messages you on Facebook!

3. Reprogram your habits: Every time you reach for your device, ask yourself why. Do you have a text message? Is it to check an app for notifications? Justify each session and reason with yourself about why you’re using the device. It’s scary to see just how many pointless times you reach for your device!

For an advanced approach to liberating yourself from big data, plan how long you’ll use each service per day and, better still, schedule specific times. For example, you could check your emails once in the morning and then every three hours thereafter. This will stop you from pointlessly checking your device every hour for more notifications.

I hope you’ll become liberated and take further steps toward making your data even more private. Remember: stop the pointless notifications on your device, log in to all those accounts, change your email notification settings, and free up bags of wasted time. Lastly, watch the film for a much better explanation than I can give you. If you want to delve deeper, consider securing your email accounts with better service providers like Proton Mail, or take steps to stop companies from using your data by refusing cookies and opting out of targeted marketing.